Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rivers often flow through multiple countries, and disputes over how much water each country can use remain a persistent source of tension. A widely accepted, fair sharing framework remains unbuilt in many major river basins.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
fair
water
countries
river
don
have
way
manage
rights
between
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Algae blooms can quickly poison drinking water sources, sometimes going undetected until people or animals get sick. Faster, cheaper detection methods could prevent this from becoming a public health crisis.
health-biology
global-unspecified
public-health
algae
blooms
water
don
have
reliable
affordable
way
detect
toxic
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
In hot, dry climates, a significant portion of irrigation water is lost to evaporation before it ever reaches crop roots. Affordable ways to reduce this loss could ease water stress in agriculture-heavy dry regions.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
water
dry
lost
evaporation
regions
don
have
cheap
technology
capture
whether
philosophy-ethics
urban
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Wetlands filter water and protect against flooding, but restoring one once it's been drained or built over is far harder than protecting it in the first place. Better restoration techniques remain limited and expensive.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
have
wetlands
been
don
reliable
way
restore
destroyed
development
filter
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even advanced AI systems sometimes generate plausible-sounding but incorrect answers, and users often can't tell the difference without checking elsewhere. A dependable way to prevent this remains unsolved.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
way
don
have
foolproof
stop
chatbots
confidently
stating
false
information
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Modern prosthetic limbs can restore some movement, but most still can't let a person genuinely feel what they're touching. Restoring sensory feedback affordably remains a major unsolved bioengineering problem.
health-biology
global-unspecified
restore
don
have
affordable
widely
available
prosthetics
natural
sense
touch
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Once deployed, a model could be subtly altered or poisoned without obvious signs, potentially changing its behavior in harmful ways. There's no simple, universal way yet to verify a model is exactly as it was originally trained.
health-biology
global-unspecified
model
way
don
have
reliable
detect
has
been
secretly
tampered
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Countless websites, articles, and pages vanish permanently when companies shut down or servers go offline. Without better and more complete web archiving, we risk losing large chunks of internet history.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
websites
don
have
good
way
archive
online
content
disappear
forever
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Homes filled with gadgets from different brands often struggle to talk to each other properly, frustrating users and limiting real automation. A shared, open standard would fix this fragmentation.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
standard
different
don
have
universal
letting
smart
home
devices
work
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
way
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This period, known as cosmic inflation, is widely accepted as a concept but the exact physical mechanism driving it remains unproven. Confirming it would close a major gap in our understanding of the universe's first moments.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
universe
don
have
full
model
explaining
early
expanded
faster
expected
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
way
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Unconditional love suggests acceptance regardless of behavior, yet moral responsibility seems to require holding loved ones accountable for genuine wrongdoing. This unresolved tension appears constantly in personal relationships and family dynamics.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
love
behavior
don
have
agreed
way
determine
whether
possible
someone
resolved
know
haven
ethical
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Habits often develop gradually without deliberate intention, raising questions about how much genuine responsibility a person bears for behavior they didn't consciously choose to cultivate. This unresolved question complicates debates over addiction and personal accountability.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
habits
over
don
have
agreed
way
determine
whether
possible
fully
resolved
know
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even societies that claim to reward merit often still allow inherited advantages like family wealth or connections to shape real opportunity. This unresolved tension complicates efforts to build a genuinely fair and merit-based system.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
allow
inherited
opportunity
merit-based
system
don
have
agreed
way
determine
whether
resolved
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some believe unresolved anger should eventually give way to forgiveness for the sake of personal peace, while others argue there's no moral deadline for healing from serious harm. This unresolved tension shapes both personal relationships and broader restorative justice practices.
society-governance
global-unspecified
way
forgiveness
don
have
agreed
determine
whether
fair
expect
come
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A single serious lapse can overshadow a lifetime of otherwise decent conduct, and it remains unresolved how heavily isolated failures should weigh against consistent character. This tension shapes public judgment of both public figures and people in our personal lives.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
character
don
have
agreed
way
determine
whether
fair
judge
someone
resolved
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
People sometimes hold personal beliefs that don't align with their public behavior, and it's unclear whether this represents a meaningful moral failing or simply a reasonable separation between private and public life. This unresolved tension shapes debates over hypocrisy and authenticity.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
public
don
whether
between
private
beliefs
have
agreed
way
determine
resolved
haven
know
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Unsolicited help is often given with good intentions, but it's unclear whether the recipient owes any gratitude if the assistance wasn't specifically requested or wanted. This unresolved tension complicates everyday interactions around generosity and obligation.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
gratitude
don
have
agreed
way
determine
fair
expect
people
resolved
know
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Hope can motivate perseverance even in dire circumstances, but forcing optimism onto someone facing truly bleak prospects raises unresolved ethical and psychological concerns. This tension appears throughout end-of-life care, crisis situations, and personal adversity.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
hope
situations
don
have
agreed
way
determine
whether
fair
expect
resolved
know
haven
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Being emotionally available to others is often seen as a virtue, but constant availability can come at a real cost to a person's own wellbeing and boundaries. This unresolved tension shapes debates over compassion fatigue and the limits of caregiving.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
emotionally
available
don
have
agreed
way
determine
whether
fair
expect
resolved
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Philosophers have proposed countless theories of meaning, from pleasure to purpose to relationships, but no single account has settled the question. This affects how people choose to live and what they consider worth pursuing.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
have
don
widely
accepted
answer
makes
life
meaningful
philosophers
proposed
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
way
know